A+wiki+is...?

**So what is a wiki?**
A wiki site is a website that lets more than one person contribute, edit, delete, or modify the content. They allow for the creation of community websites through the collaboration of many different authors. The encyclopedia [|Wikipedia] is one of the best-known wikis.

Ward Cunningham who developed the first wiki (Wiki means "quick" or "fast" in Hawaiian) described the essence of the Wiki concept as follows: A single page in a wiki website is referred to as a "wiki page", while the entire collection of pages, which are usually well interconnected by hyperlinks, is "the wiki". A wiki is essentially a database for creating, browsing, and searching through information.
 * A wiki invites all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki Web site, using only a plain-vanilla Web browser without any extra add-ons.
 * A wiki is not a carefully crafted site for casual visitors. Instead, it seeks to involve the users in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration that constantly changes the Web site landscape.

As the DEECD website explains (http://www.education.vic.gov.au/teacher/) in order to create a wiki all you need is a computer with internet access and a web browser. You can then write and edit as you would a word document, include files such as videos, pictures, slide shows, attachments and links. You, and whoever you invite to contribute to the wiki's creation, can also make changes and the wiki will automatically track and record them all.  Watch this simple video created by Lee and Sachi Lefever at Commoncraft.com, **Wikis in plain English**. media type="custom" key="4201147"


 * Why Wikis in Education?**

Wikis enable the development of learning communities allowing many users at once to create, publish, share and build upon //shared knowledge//. They can be used to:
 * create simple websites
 * attach classroom assignments
 * produce group projects that track everyone's input
 * generate classroom discussion and debate
 * allow for peer and teacher feedback and assessment
 * allow for teacher collaboration, professional development, planning and resource-building
 * store classroom and school documents
 * enable collaboration with an international school or simply someone in another classroom
 * allow more immediate contact within the wider school community

One of the best ways to answer the relevance of wikis in education is to explore how teachers and students are using wikis in the classroom. The DEECD webpage (http://www.education.vic.gov.au/teacher/wiki.htm) has links to several Victorian examples (just scroll down the page a bit, its under the section on Wikis and security). To explore some overseas examples of wikis being used in K-8 classrooms follow this link: [|http://www.publicpbwikis.com/Educational/K-8/****]

The following links further explore the educational possiblities of wikis:
 * [|TeachersFirst Wiki Walkthrough]
 * EDUCAUSE: 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis (PDF)
 * [|Wiki While You Work] - Mark Wagner's introduction to wikis presentation from the 2006 K12 Online Conference.
 * Wiki Wisdom: Lessons for Educators (PDF) - Article from Digital Directions